1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container securing device, including a housing portion with a cylindrical shape, an upper end of which is opened to house a container, such as a beverage container, and a flap, positioned so as to be moveable within a hole that is formed in a cylindrical wall of the housing portion, which secures the beverage container within the housing portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
A container securing device is conventionally known, such as is depicted in FIG. 8A, which includes a housing portion 2, wherein a beverage container 103 is inserted, and a diameter compensation element, i.e., a flap, 1, which is capable of a hinged swinging movement, either forward or backward, in a depression portion 2b of a surrounding wall 2a of the housing portion 2, and which secures the beverage container 103 in the housing portion 2 by causing a leading end portion 1a of the diameter compensation element 1 to protrude into the housing portion 2, a spring (not shown) that impels the diameter compensation element 1 to swing in a counterclockwise direction, and a ratchet mechanism (not shown) that allows the hinged swinging movement in a clockwise direction of the diameter compensation element 1, and checks the hinged swinging movement in the counterclockwise direction thereof, at each of a plurality of prescribed angles, for instance, at 20 degrees, 40 degrees, and 60 degrees; refer, for instance, to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-237452 for particulars.
As an instance with respect to the conventional container securing device, such as is depicted in FIG. 8B, inserting the beverage container 103, which has a tapering constriction therein, into the housing portion 2 by way of an opening at an upper end thereof, a lower portion 103d of the beverage container 103 comes into contact with the leading end portion 1a of the diameter compensation element 1, resisting an impelling force of the spring element (not shown), and thereby causing the diameter compensation element 1 to swing in the clockwise direction. Furthermore, when the beverage container 103 is inserted thereinto, the diameter compensation element 1 is impelled by the spring, such that a tapering constriction component 103c of the beverage container 103 is impressed upon the leading end portion 1a of the diameter compensation element 1, with a result that the beverage container 103 is secured within the housing portion 2, such as is depicted in FIG. 8C.
When extracting the beverage container 103 from the housing portion 2, however, when the beverage container 103 is in a state such as is depicted in FIG. 8C, the diameter compensation element 1 catches upon a widening component 103b of the beverage container 103, making it difficult to extract the beverage container 103 from the housing portion 2 as a consequence thereof. In addition, due to the ratchet mechanism, the diameter compensation element 1 does not swing in a left hand direction, i.e., in the counterclockwise direction, beyond the prescribed angle. Therefore, forcibly extracting the beverage container 103 from the housing portion 2 may result in a breakage of the diameter compensation element 1 or the ratchet mechanism due to the leading end portion 1a of the diameter compensation element 1 catching upon the widening component 103b of the beverage container 103.